Fuel Free (Green) Oregon Vacations

With summer quickly approaching, the lure to discover and get away is foremost on most family’s minds. But with soaring gas prices, the vacation temptation to travel to far away destinations may be on the skids for many travelers. Luckily, Oregon offers its residents and residents from its border states, myriad outdoor travel opportunities that don’t require any, or at least very little, petrol.

The entire state of Oregon is a hiker’s paradise. In the north, trails like Bridal Veil Falls and Boulder Ridge offer walkers the opportunity to see mountain views framed with blooming wildflowers and dew-laden fiddle ferns. The eastern part of the state, near the city of Bend, gives hikers a more arid view. Trails here climb gradually and enter stands of large fir and spruce trees with many of the hikes ending at hilltop alpine meadows. Southern Oregon’s Bear Camp Trail near Grants Pass offers spectacular views, a wide variety of wildflowers and cool summertime hiking. To check out many more Oregon hiking/walking trips go to the state of Oregon’s travel website.

The simple outdoor activity of fishing a lake or a rambling stream conjures up positive memories for many of Oregon’s families. The state’s unique climate and geography makes almost every corner an angler’s dreamland. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) has devoted an entire section of its website to highlighting great places for families to fish in Oregon. The site goes so far as to provide “fishing zones” so that families planning their fuel free vacations can pick just the right camping and fishing adventure. “No activity bonds a family together quite like fishing” is the ODFW’s motto. Families can spend hours either fishing from the shoreline or in one of Oregon’s famous drift boats (also known as Rogue River dories).

Windsurfing and rock climbing represent the extreme side of an Oregon fuel free vacation. World-class windsurfing and the emerging sport of kiteboarding can be found in Oregon’s northern region about a 45-minute drive from Portland. Once travelers reach the Columbia River it is definitely up to Mother Nature whether the water enthusiasts will be able to ride the water waves or not. A good site for researching these more extreme sports is here at Oregon.com

To truly be powered downriver by Mother Nature, look to Oregon’s incredible river trips. The state offers it all up—from a lazy day float to an invigorating rafting ride on one of the nation’s most pristine wild and scenic rivers. Rivers like the Clackamas in Portland, the McKenzie in Eugene, and the wild and scenic Rogue River in southern Oregon offer travelers a fuel free experience from mild to wild. Check out more information on Oregon river trips by clicking on this southern Oregon rafting site

Whatever a traveler’s passion, the state offers a smorgasbord of unbelievable outdoor adventures. This year maybe most importantly, many of these activities come “fuel free” and guilt free.